Neighbors

[DD]

Do you know your neighbors? Socialize with them? Keep in touch when they move away?

 

[Lynnie]

New ones just moved in - haven't met them, yet. I know all the others and we used to socialize quite a bit.

Green Thong man type is just a couple of doors down.

 

[Scooter]

No!

 

[Minnie]

Yes, I know the ones across the street, everyone 3 doors down and in between on both sides, everyone that lives behind me and then several on the street that are not as close to my location, such as the really hot young guy that jogs in the evening with the really cute lab that my Sadie likes.

The Mexican couple with the adorable children that I have given many barely used toys to, who are trying to teach me Spanish. They love my dog.

We are a very varied, international group my next door neighbors are from Vietnam. I don't speak Vietnamese, but we do pretty good communicating and their children speak English and I am learning. They cook all their food outside, because it smells horrible, even their kids agree.

One of my favorite neighbors lives behind me on the cove that runs behind our street. They are an older, retired black couple and Joe laughs and tells me I am his only white friend and if any of his black friends come over when I am there I am to pretend I am the insurance lady, as he says, "they are not very open minded".

His wife does not drive, so while he is at work during the day, the "insurance lady" comes by sometimes and takes his wife out to lunch.

My neighbor on the other side is in her late 60's and is a widow, her husband died during the night of a massive heart attack on the day he retired. I heard the fire truck and ambulance arrive, as I was the only one awake that late and held her hand while they tried to revive him.

My noisy neighbor two doors down is my Mom's age and she knows everything about everyone in the nieghborhood but her husband does mow my lawn when I am out of town and get my mail. I will take the good with the bad.

My neighbor across the street is Jevoviah Witness and every Wednesday night they have bible study at their house, and while I am Methodist and do not agree with all their doctrine they do pray for me every week and I will take all I can get in that department.

We are an old neighborhood with trees over a hundred years old and houses 50 years old and older and we are definitely not the most affluent, but are rich in many other ways.

I would miss all of them.

 

[Matt J]

I socialized with my last neighbors before we moved in. I've met my other neighbors and always say hi or wave. I still need to take up the one neighbor on a sail boat ride.

 

[Miss Kitty]

I've lived in 4 houses in Dallas and have had great neighbors half the time. Now, is not one of those times.

My neighbors in WC have come and gone with the whims of the market. Everyone has moved on to bigger digs, but has left behind another mortgage.

 

[Matt J]

Minnie,

My relatives have a house at the end of Egret St. Where is your house at? I haven't been there in years, but it was a funn place. Just didn't enjoy the water, too cold.

 

[bluecat]

Minnie, everyone should have a neighbor like you. What a nice post.

 

[Minnie]

Minnie,

My relatives have a house at the end of Egret St. Where is your house at? I haven't been there in years, but it was a funn place. Just didn't enjoy the water, too cold.

Here in Memphis, in a very old neighborhood called Grahamwood. I am not orginially from Memphis, my husband grew up in this neighborhood, went to elementary and High School, he sees people he knew from grade school often at the local grocery. We have lived here 26 years.

 

[TooFarTampa]

Minnie, what a lovely post. It made my morning.

I also consider myself very fortunate. We did not know anything about our neighborhood when we purchased our home, and it has turned out to be a wonderful place. Literally within five minutes of our arrival at our new home, we had neighbors from four different houses coming over to meet us, and welcome us to the street. I'll never forget how we were all gathered out front for about 30 minutes chatting away.

One of those neighbors has moved to Connecticut, but we still see the husband and his kids occasionally. In fact Mr. TFT has taken the boys up there twice to go skiing.

We have had neighbors take care of our dog, I know what colleges the kids of the empty nesters are attending, and when we leave town and forget to turn off the newspaper someone automatically tucks it away to the side of our house or picks up our packages. We are surrounded by really kind, decent people. There are a handful of snooty annoying ones on this block and the next, but they are the rare exception. It's the nicest place I have ever lived (and I don't mean aesthetically).

I partly attribute it to the age of the neighborhood -- most of the homes are 50-80 years old and most people don't park in their garages. There are good sidewalks and big old oak trees to shade people's paths. I think it makes a difference.